It has been a week of “firsts” for Newman University athletics. For the first time in its Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) era, two Jets have been recognized in the conference’s weekly honors.
The MIAA honored Stevie Strong as its 12th MIAA Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week of the 2022-23 season. It is the first time a Newman men’s basketball player has been recognized since it started competing in the conference in 2019. The MIAA is considered as one of the strongest NCAA DII leagues in the country, claiming five national men’s basketball titles in the past decade.
Not to be outdone, Newman outfielder Jake Angelico earned MIAA Co-Hitter of the Week honors after his performances during the Jets’ 2023 season opening series at Southern Nazarene University, in Bethany, Okahoma.
Angelico is the first hitter and just the second Jet baseball player ever to earn a weekly MIAA recognition. Ryan Boaz was selected in the pitcher category on March 4, 2020, Newman’s first MIAA season which was later suspended due to the pandemic.
Best scoring day in MIAA this season
Strong tied the Newman single-game scoring record in MIAA play with 40 points in the 84-74 win over Nebraska Kearney on Hall of Fame Day on Feb. 4. It was Strong’s second 40-point game of the season as he tallied 40 points against Concordia-St. Paul. Strong’s 40 points also lead the MIAA this season for most points scored in a single game. The sophomore has now scored 10-plus points in every game he has played in this season (21), averaging 18.3 points per game.
“It’s really an honor and a blessing to be the first from Newman [men’s basketball] to win this award. We have a lot of athletes here at Newman” said the Kansas City native. “Hopefully me winning this award will further the attention towards Newman Athletics.”
Leading Jets’ offensive power surge
Angelico helped lead the Jets to a 14-7 victory in game 1 of the series and a 23-12 thumping of the Crimson Storm in the series finale.
The senior from Clearfield High School in New Braunfels, Texas was 2-4 with 3 RBIs in the opener and a perfect 2-2 on stolen bases in the Jets win. Angelico was 4-for-4 at the plate and drove in seven runs in the third and final game of the weekend series at Southern Nazarene. In the finale, he slammed two doubles and a home run. The senior hit .500 and totaled 10 RBIs for the weekend while posting a .917 slugging percentage for the weekend.
